Method of baling



Dec. 21, 1965 J- E. TALBOT 3,224,363

METHOD OF BALING Original Filed March 27, 1963 United States Patent 3 Claims. (Cl. 100-3) The present application is a division of application Serial Number 268,232 filed March 27, 1963.

This invention relates to a method of baling and more particularly to a method of securing a bale tie about a compressed bundle in such manner that the securing means for the tie is subjected to a minimum amount of tension.

In forming a bale, the material to be baled is placed in a press and tightly compacted. While the material is held under pressure in the press, bands are secured thereabout so as to hold the bale under pressure when it is removed from the press. These bands are commonly known as bale ties and may be formed of cordage, wire or flat straps which are secured by various means depending somewhat upon the nature of the material. Flat straps offer an advantage over wire and ordinary round cross section cordage inasmuch as the strap, because of its relatively large surface area, is not as apt to cut into the bale when the pressure of the press is removed. While, as mentioned, the means employed for securing the bale tie in position may be varied in accordance with the nature of the tie itself, nevertheless the tensile strength of the tie is always lowest in the area of the securing means. This weakness on the part of the securing means is most severe when the securing means is a knot tying the two ends of the bale tie together and especially so when the bale tie is in the form of a flat strap. Of course some types of flat strap, e.g., metal, cannot be knotted but others can be and the method of the present invention has its greatest utility when the bale tie is a flat strap or ribbon-like material which is secured by knotting the ends together.

In some types of baling operations the bale tie is under considerably more stress in certain areas than in others and the present invention contemplates locating the knot or other securing means for the bale tie in an area of relatively low stress whereby the full strength of the tie, be it cordage, band or wire, may be utilized in the high stress areas.

Thus it is the primary object of this invention to provide a method of baling which minimizes the forces on the knot or other securing means of the bale tie.

The single figure of the drawing is a perspective view illustrating the novel method.

Referring now to the drawing, the platens of an opensided baling press are indicated at 20 and 21. Such presses are widely used for baling greige goods, old newspapers and other sheet-like articles which when com pressed do not bulge sideways and therefore do not require a closed press. Platens 20 and 21 are provided respectively with bale tie accommodating slots 22 and 23 and the bale ties, indicated at 24, 25 and 26, extend through these slots when the bale 27 is under the pressure of the platens. Platen 21 is movable up and down by a plunger 28 to compress and release the bundle. The ties may be laced through the slots of the platen and about the bundle in any of several known ways, either before or after the bundle is compressed.

According to the present invention, the bale ties are secured as by means of knots or otherwise along one of the sides of the bundle 27 not engaged by either of the platens 20 and 21. For example, knot 29 may be tied in the vicinity of the area designated by the dotted-line circle 32. Of course the knots are tied while the bundle is under pressure. Normally, the knots would remain in the area in which tied but according to the present invention, after the knot is tied and before the compressive force of the platens is released the bale tie is slipped about the bundle to position the knot on a face of the bundle engaged by one of the platens. The slots in the platens permit this movement of the bale ties. When platen 21 is raised, the bale attempts to expand vertically and this places great stress on the bale ties but by far the greatest tension is imposed on the vertical runs of the ties. The reason why the ties are not under equal tension all the way around the bale is that the edges of the bale provide a substantial snubbing action on the tie passing therearound. By thus positioning the knot or other securing means on an area of relatively low tension, the full strength of the unknotted bale tie is utilized in the high tension areas along the sides of the bale and the fact that the knotted portion of the tie is not as strong as the unknotted portion is not of practical significance.

Another real advantage in positioning the knots on a face of the bale engaged by one of the platens is that as the bale attempts to expand the ties become indented into the faces formerly engaged by the platens so that if the bale is slid along a conveyor or rolled across the floor, the knot is protected by the bulging parts of the bale.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A method of baling comprising compressing the material to be baled between a pair of platens having bale tie receiving slots therein to thus form a compressed bundle, securing a bale tie about the bundle with the securing means for the tie located on a side of the bundle not engaged by a platen, slipping the secured tie about the bundle to position the securing means on a face of the bundle engaged by one of the platens, and releasing the compressive force of the platens.

2. The baling method set forth in claim 1 wherein the bale tie is capable of being knotted and is secured by means of a knot.

3. The baling method set forth in claim 2 wherein the bale tie is a ribbon-like material.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS (X Series) 11/1809 Simmons and Raguet 2420 X 5,451 2/1848 Dillon 32 315,044 4/1885 Luce et al 100-34 1,220,870 3/1917 Marx 100255 X 2,595,503 5/1952 Altgelt 100-20 OTHER REFERENCES Gurgess, I. T.: Knots, Ties and Splices, London, George Routledge and Sons, Lint. (page 22 relied upon).

WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner.

LOUIS O. MAASSEL, Examiner. 

1. A METHOD OF BALING COMPRISING COMPRESSING THE MATERIAL TO BE BALED BETWEEN A PAIR OF PLATENS HAVING BALE TIE RECEIVING SLOTS THEREIN TO THUS FORM A COMPRESSED BUNDLE, SECURING A BALE TIE ABOUT THE BUNDLE WITH THE SECURING MEANS FOR THE TIE LOCATED ON A SIDE OF THE BUNDLE NOT ENGAGED BY A PLATEN, SLIPPING THE SECURED TIE ABOUT THE BUNDLE TO POSITION THE SECURING MEANS ON A FACE OF THE BUNDLE ENGAGED BY THE ONE OF THE PLATENS, AND RELEASING THE COMPRESSIVE FORCE OF THE PLATENS. 